PlantScreen Compact System
About...

PlantScreenTM Compact System is conveyor-based integrated robotic solution for high-precision digital plant phenotyping and plant cultivation of small and mid-size scale plants (e.g. Arabidopsis). The transport of plants is carried out on trays with different lid patterns adapted for single or multiple plants. Digital data are acquired typically from top and side views.

Key Features

  • Plant-to sensor concept
  • Multiple imaging sensors
  • LED light/dark adaptation chamber
  • Flexible transportation tray format
  • Precise irrigation schemes


  • Suitable for phenotyping of small-up to mid-size scale plants
  • Modular customized solutions
  • Open database structure
  • Integrated environmental sensors
  • Comprehensive software package

PlantScreenTM Compact System


PlantScreenTM Compact System is conveyer-based integrated robotic solution designed for digital phenotyping and cultivation of small and mid-size scale plants up to 50 cm in height (Arabidopsis thaliana, strawberries, turfgrass, young soybean, tobacco, corn plants, etc.). The transport of plants is carried out on trays that can be adapted to carry different patterns for single or multiple plants grown in individual pots or in vitro (e.g. multiwell plates) providing flexibility of use with numerous different species, or with a single species throughout its growth cycle. Multi-sensoric digital data are acquired typically from top and side views.

The PlantScreenTM Compact System is designed for the automated plant handling, plant imaging and the precise irrigation scheme at the level of individual plant or group of plants. The configuration is optimized for the controlled environment and greenhouse applications and can be customized in terms of throughput and range of integrated digital sensors according to the research needs.

Download the information brochure (pdf)

The platform may incorporate various modules for digital analysis of plant growth dynamics and physiological performance, an acclimatization chamber that may be used to equilibrate plants under controlled conditions, or for plant cultivation, and a transportation system for automated delivery of plants to the imaging stations. An external transportation system and/or loading station can be implemented to move plants between a cultivation area and compartment with imaging stations. Combined weighing/watering station is implemented for precise irrigation or nutrient delivery schemes. Unique bar-code or RFID identifiers are used for plant identification.

A comprehensive PlantScreenTM Software package, with remote accessibility, is used to control all aspects of the transportation and imaging modules, as well as for data acquisition, image analysis and data base configuration. The system is modular and designed so that additional features may be added as the user´s screening requirements evolve.

Plant Handling and Cultivation


Key feature for high-throughput and reproducible plant phenotyping is control of suitable growth conditions, maintenance of precise irrigation regime and adaptation of plants prior physiological phenotyping. Equilibration of plants to user-defined environmental conditions prior phenotyping is critically important when imaging leaf temperature and chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics, since data are dependent on irradiance conditions.

PlantScreenTM Compact System can be implemented inside of high-capacity growth chambers to allow for program controlled growing conditions, with accurate measurements and regulation of temperature, irradiation cycles and relative humidity. Additional LED lightning solutions can be implemented to improve lighting regime of the plants grown in greenhouse environment. Light and dark adaptation tunnel for plant acclimation prior physiological phenotyping is key feature of our phenotyping platforms.

Adaptation tunnel consists of multichannel LED´s with programmable interface for defining desired light regime and spectral quality. The precise setting of light intensity is programmable in smooth steps, with the maxima of 2000 µmol.m-2.s-1.

High-precission irrigation system is integral part of the system for programable delivery of both water and nutrients to the plants throughout growth and/or measurement cycles. Watering and nutrient delivery may be combined with automated weighing of plants in pots so that specific watering regimes may be programmed in software. These regimes may be used to impose drought stress or waterlogging of varying degrees of severity, imposed rapidly or gradually. Schemes for watering to exact volume, relative volume or predefined weight can be pre-defined for single plants or groups of plants.

Furthermore ccomprehensive suite of environmental sensors (humidity, temperature, light intensity, light quality) is available for the PlantScreenTM Phenotyping Systems. The physiological parameters deduced from the measurements acquired by imaging units can be correlated with the environmental parameters acquired from a number of environmental sensors implemented within the phenotyping unit.

Software control


Comprehensive software package has been developed for system control, data acquisition, image analysis and data base configuration. User friendly graphical interface is designed to control all hardware system components actions, to control and monitor environmental conditions and to design experiments with an extremely high level of flexibility. High-end industrial PC with touch screen is used for system control. Scheduling assistant with calendar function allows running multiple experiments simultaneously, provides different modes for experiment randomization, for treatment per plant or group of plants with different experimental protocols and plant handling regimes including dark/light adaptation or watering or nutrient delivery schemes.

All acquired imaging, environmental and watering/weighing data are stored in an SQL database, processed and available for inspection and further analysis in range of seconds after recording via user-friendly graphical interface. PlantScreenTM Analyser provides tools for data browsing, grouping, analysis, user-defined reprocessing and export. Multiple clients can be connected to the database, with different privileges assigned based on a built-in authentication mechanism. An SMS and mail notification service is integral part of the complete phenotyping system. 24-hour online support service is key component of the PlantScreenTM phenotyping solution.

Key features of IT solution:

  • Comprehensive software package for system control, data acquisition, image analysis and data base configuration
  • Randomization of measurements
  • Species-specific analysis
  • Open database structure
  • Remote access
  • Automatic SMS and email notification service
  • 24-hour online support service
  • Online environmental monitoring

Imaging sensors


Over past two decades PSI has pioneered numerous techniques for non-invasive measurements of plant physiological processes, which have been integrated into our unique line of PlantScreenTM phenotyping systems and optimized for the controlled environment and greenhouse applications. Specific imaging sensors are implemented in closed imaging cabins containing automatic doors for maintenance of standardized light environment and dedicated illumination source. Depending on the configuration these cabins can be equipped with a plant lifting and rotation station for 0-360° angle image acquisistion.

All data acquired from imaging sensors are in raw format and processed format stored in an SQL database and are in range of minute after recording available for further analysis. All raw and processed data files are directly accessible and therefore can be easily analysed by user-defined processing scripts.

Range of non-invasive plant imaging technologies was developed for PlantScreenTM Phenotyping Systems to study different aspects of plant growth and physiological performance:

Sensors available for the PlantScreen™ Compact System are:

Why to use PlantScreenTM Phenotyping System


In the search for beneficial traits that may allow crops to resist abiotic and biotic stresses, fast and accurate methods are required for efficient and effective plant high-throughput phenotyping. Such methods must involve automated measurements of plant morphology, biochemistry and physiology to determine potential and actual yield under a variety of monitored environmental conditions. With over 20 years’ experience of designing instrumentation for plant imaging PSI is now at the forefront of providing complete solutions PlantScreenTM Phenotyping Systems for automated multidimensional plant phenotyping.

PlantScreenTM Phenotyping Systems designed for integrative phenotyping on temporal and spatial level are proven in a range of applications across the world:

  • High-throughput screening
  • Morphology and growth assessment
  • Nutrient management
  • Photosynthetic performance
  • Abiotic stress
  • Pathogen interaction
  • Trait identification
  • Chemical screening
  • Nutrient effects

Customised solutions


PlantScreen™ Compact System is modular and designed so that additional features may be added as the user´s screening requirements evolve. Further standard layout in terms of dimensions, pot format and range of image-based sensors can be adapted in order to meet your specific research question.

Furthermore we make our state-of–art phenotyping facilities available for testing and proof-of-concept experiments. Contact us for more information.

Discuss your project and test your concept


The nature of the research questions is unique referring to distinct requirements you might have to answer your specific questions.Our goal is to consult with you extensively your project to ensure that our technology is configured to meet your needs precisely. At PSI we have team of plant physiologists, image-processing specialist and technical engineers that can help to shape your phenotyping projects to meet precisely your requirements.


We are proud that in our PSI Research Center we can provide service platform with professional support, where we can demonstrate our equipment and facilitate proof of concept validations of the projects prior realization. PSI Research Center provides service platform to scientific community for plant cultivation and image-based monitoring in controlled environment and in greenhouse. Our vision is to provide biological and technical support to our customers.




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[h1]Promotional Materials[/h1] [list] [*][b]PlantScreen Systems brochure (pdf)[/b] [*][b]Imaging Sensors brochure (pdf)[/b] [/list]